Michael Piller – Inspired a “Next Generation” of Trekkies
Michael Piller (UNC Chapel Hill ’70) was best known as one of the creative forces behind the “Star Trek” television franchise whose scripts brought a human touch to the intergalactic saga. Hand-picked by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, he went on to become the “transporter” of the thought-provoking vision and morality of the ground-breaking franchise for a new generation of Trekkies.
He boldly went where no Pilam had gone before
In 1989, Piller began writing for StarTrek: The Next Generation and his scripts had a knack for creating morality plays set in the 24th century that resonated with viewers. In his third year as a writer he became the showrunner, leading the entire writing staff. He formed a strong writing team, something that had eluded previous executives.
He also created an open-door policy for scripts, allowing anyone to submit story ideas. This policy yielded some of the series’ most popular episodes.
Piller was heavily influenced by series creator Gene Roddenberry, who offered him a job as a Star Trek writer and gave him sage advice on plot development and storytelling. Piller was respectful of Roddenberry’s vision, which he called the “Roddenberry Box,” and aimed to uphold its philosophical and optimistic themes while developing the characters and stories.
Piller was personally responsible for many popular episodes of Star Trek, and in the final year of the series, the show received an Emmy Award nomination in its final year for Outstanding Drama Series.
He went on to “take the conn” on series spin-offs, writing and executive producing for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as the movie, Star Trek: Insurrection. Overall, he produced more than 500 hours of Star Trek programming.
He left a legacy for Trekkies by influencing storytellers
Sadly, Piller passed into the Chapter Eternal in 2005 after a battle with cancer. But his imprint on the entertainment industry was pronounced. Lions Gate Television put out a press release describing him as, “an extraordinary storyteller and cherished friend, who inspired all of us who knew him.”
Star Trek: The Next Generation cast member Wil Wheaton said:
“Piller was more responsible than anyone else for The Next Generation transforming itself into the amazing show it became.”
Eric Stillwell, who worked as Piller’s executive assistant said:
“His greatest gift was his ability to nurture new writers and help them develop their talent.”
In 1999, Piller formed a production company with his son, Shawn, called Piller2. Shawn continued his father’s legacy, not only writing Star Trek episodes, but teaming up with his dad to create The Dead Zone TV series, starring Anthony Michael Hall. Shawn went on to become an executive producer on the ABC series Greek, a nod to their college fraternity experiences.
He “made it so” for his alma mater
Piller was always proud of his college roots and could be seen on set and in interviews donning a UNC cap. Attending the university in the 1960s profoundly affected him. He once said. “I had the experience of being introduced to an extraordinarily wide section of people, many of whom have shown up in my work in alien disguise.”
Piller was someone who wanted to give back and “make it so” for UNC, and in 2003 he donated $500,000 to help launch a screenwriting program at his alma mater. With the support of David Sontag, and other television executives, they created the Writing for Screen and Stage program at UNC.
John Coffey ’67 fondly remembered Piller as someone who “would do great things”
“I was a senior, Archon and Pledge Master the year Mike Piller pledged. Even during the short time we had together, it was clear that he would go on to do great things. How exciting it was to be watching TV in the 90s and see Michael on the screen talking about a new Star Trek series he and others were creating. I was always a science-fiction buff, and had watched The Next Generation for years but never really looked at the credits and noted his name. My daughter and I watched Voyager regularly.”
Photo credits: CBS-Paramount
Live “Not Four Years, But a Lifetime” and prosper.